These results mean that Gryazin and Aleksandrov celebrate both the drivers’ and co-drivers’ titles in the WRC2 Challenger category. Toksport WRT had already secured the team title at the start of the rally due to the absence of their PH Sport rivals, and despite their withdrawal, Miguel Granados and Marc Martí celebrate their champions titles in the WRC Masters Cup.
A demanding competition
Success did not come easily for the Škoda crews. The stages featured highly varied surfaces—ranging from fast, open desert sections surrounded by volcanic rock to wide stretches of softer sand in mountain regions—putting extreme demands on tyres, as became clear already during reconnaissance runs.
“Some sections are extremely tough and will not be about speed at all, but about survival. At times it will feel more like Dakar than a rally. With every pass, more and more big rocks will appear. The risk of punctures will be enormous. But the conditions will be the same for everyone,” said Robert Virves, describing his impressions from the local stages.
His assessment proved correct: even with smooth and controlled driving, punctures were virtually unavoidable.
Gryazin and Aleksandrov set the second-fastest time on Wednesday’s opening super special stage, but a puncture in Thursday’s first stage cost them almost a minute and dropped them to the back of the field—just ahead of the Estonian crew Virves/Viilo. Thanks to their pace, both crews began climbing back up the rankings, while Greensmith and Andersson moved into the lead from the second special stage onward.
Gryazin’s progress was slowed down by another puncture in Stage 7. Even so, he completed Thursday in fourth place overall, followed closely by Virves, with Greensmith comfortably in the lead. On Friday, Gryazin was among the quickest and, thanks to his rivals' issues, advanced to second place. He reduced his earlier one-minute gap to the Greensmith/Andersson crew to just under 28 seconds. The shorter Saturday itinerary brought no major changes: Gryazin held onto second place, and Robert Virves climbed from fourth to third—earning him and co-driver Jakko Viilo third position in the final WRC2 Challenger standings.
At the front, Gus Greensmith avoided any drama and maintained firm control of the rally.
“Rally Saudi Arabia offered some of the toughest conditions I’ve ever experienced in my career. Huge rocks, deep ruts and very loose surfaces. A truly demanding rally, but the car handled it without issues. Winning here and in Kenya shows how strong and durable the Fabia is. It felt incredible to drive all weekend, and I enjoyed every second of it. It’s great to take the victory here. Thanks to everyone!”
A strong end to the season represents a big boost for Škoda drivers and teams as they look ahead to the next championship. The 2026 season kicks off in less than two months, with the traditional Rallye Monte-Carlo taking place from 22 to 25 January.
